Thresholders Podcast

Transitions: Imbolc and the Year of the Snake

In this mini episode I share a bit about the status of the podcast, some personal information about the importance of the Celtic cross-quarter holiday Imbolc in my life, and how I feel that Snake wisdom will serve us well in this Year of the wood snake. Enjoy!

The Passion and Purpose Behind Biotune with Founder Isaac Sabu

I'm so excited to share this episode where I interview Isaac Sabu. Isaac is an immigrant from Iran and a sound engineer with over 20 years in his field. He's the founder of Biotune: a pioneer in frequency based wellness technology, and founder of Spirit Journeys which has produced more than 60 immersive meditation and cultural experiences in the last 3 years. Isaac is dedicated to offering sound therapy sessions to veterans and those facing mental health challenges, and his mission is to provide these therapies to underserved and marginalized communities in order to foster a lasting impact; Feeling uncomfortable and taking action anyway In this episode Isaac and I discuss: - The importance of community as a lifeline to healing - Overcoming trauma and pain via movement and sound - Isaac's story of growing up in a war torn country, moving to the states, rejecting his culture in order to assimilate, and then eventually finding his way back to embracing his heritage - The hardships of isolation, and how our wounding often opens the pathway to our greatest gifts - Community as a founding principal that drives Isaac's work - The power of hearing instruments and music from our cultural heritage, and how merging ancient and modern sounds inspires the next generation to honor their own heritage - Trading a successful career for a path of alignment and purpose - "Digital Psychedelics" - Biotune as the ultimate self healing tool - The components of Biotune and how it works to release trapped emotion and trauma - Isaac's mission with Biotune and what's on the horizon in order to make this technology accessible for everyone I'm so grateful to be kicking off 2025 with this important conversation with such a genuine human. Please do follow Isaac and reach out to him via email if you are an organization who works with veterans and would like to be a part of bringing this technology to the forefront of healing: Website: www.biotunewellness.com Email: Isaac@biotune.online IG: @biotunewellness @vibecrea8r

From Birth to Death: Walking the Labyrinth of the Unknown with Amana Faulkner

In this episode I speak with Amana Faulkner. Amana has gathered over 40 years in this earthly realm where she has been captivated by pregnancy, birth, death, mothering, sociology, culture, nature, nursing, midwifery, reiki & mediumship. Through her path of study, & exploration she has received degrees, certifications, traveled the world, attended many births & deaths, cultivated community, crafted ceremony, birthed her own babies & been initiated into the realms of death & grief. Amana’s deepest desire is for every woman to feel the magic, intuitive knowing, strength and wildness within themselves. You will love this conversation where we explore: - The sacred work of presencing liminality in both birth and death - reclaiming death and birth from the medical establishment - Choosing family needs overwork needs - normalizing, both birth and death by walking through our own fears - Partner death, and the initiation of impermanence - Early birth, a.k.a. miscarriage - Amana’s story of discovering that her daughter Hartley had no kidneys at six months gestation, and her choice to make intentional memories with her for the duration of the pregnancy, knowing that she would die after birth. - Going through the postpartum experience without a baby - Communicating with your baby and pregnancy - Amana’s homebirth story with her son - complex grief in the post partum period -Matresence: a time of hormonal changes when becoming a mother - homebirth versus Freebirth (withholding versus unfolding) - to ultrasound, or not to ultrasound?! - Hospice care versus palliative care -and so much more! You can find Amana and her offerings at her website: https://www.birthingnova.love/aboutamana and check out HER wonderful podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ljFiZ4fgTqhdU9bG4DRFJ?si=AtBIj7zJTZSzQC-9VQT6Xw

"Right Now, It's Like This" with Mary Stancavage

My guest this week is someone I've known through the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous since 2006, and who has taken the 11th step ("Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God...") to a whole new level with her commitment and devotion to Buddhist teachings and practices: Mary Stancavage. Mary Stancavage has practiced meditation, yoga, and cultivated a spiritual practice for over 35 years and in 2009 was empowered to teach Buddhadharma. She teaches classes, retreats, coaches and mentors individuals and has facilitated several Year-to-Live groups over the years. She has served as a volunteer hospital chaplain and been involved with leadership in several non-profit organizations over the years both in meditation and in the social justice arena. She is currently a member of the Guiding Teachers Council for Insight Community of the Desert, serves on the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Interfaith Task Force and is a Board Member of both Meditation Coalition and CLUE: Clergy and Laity for Economic Justice. For the last several years, Mary has investigated what it means to live with an undefended heart and more information on this can be found on her website, marystancavage.org [http://marystancavage.org/]. Fun fact: Mary has an MA from UCLA and spent several seasons working as an archaeologist in Syria. In this episode Mary and I discuss topics such as: - meditation for nervous system regulation - the “year to live” practice as a powerful way to shed what’s not important and turn toward what is - 10,000 joys and 10,000 sorrows in Buddhism - election day as just one day in our lives, and cultivating present time awareness - the importance of resourcing ourselves well - “Right now, it’s like this.” My favorite Mary quote which just so happens to be tattooed on her arm - you cannot win a fist fight with reality, so you might as well say hi to it - the 11th step in alcoholics anonymous talks about seeking through prayer and meditation, and AA was a gateway for Mary to meditation practice - the practice of “coming back” and “being with” - The Eightfold Path: foundational Buddhist teaching - cultivating kindness and friendliness, not only toward others, but also toward ourselves - the value of replacing “I am” with “this is” - living life with an underfunded heart - “You are a part of me that I do not know yet” as a way to help us meet the polarization of our times following Undefended Dharma: Living with an Undefended Heart marystancavage.org [http://marystancavage.org/] Meditation Coalition [http://meditationcoalition.com/]Insight Community of the Desert [http://desertinsight.org/]Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice [http://cluejustice.org/]LA District Attorney Interfaith Advisory Board [https://da.lacounty.gov/community/interfaith-advisory-board] morning which

Midlife Musings on Motherhood with Centehua Sage

I’m so excited to be kicking off season two of Thresholders with someone I have admired from afar for years, Centehua Sage. Centehua is a mother, traditional cook, dancer and embodiment guide.  Born and raised in Mexico City, to artist parents. She currently resides in Northern California near the Yuba river. She shares her musings on Substack and offers a yearly embodiment course on her website at centehuasage.com. In this episode Centehua and I explore: - raising a toddler in the midlife years - the individualism of the wild woman phase that makes way for  cronehood - Navigating the weirdness of social media - Schooling versus Unschooling: where do we take a stand and where to we compromise - Listening to our kids about their needs, and meeting them in the years of letting go - The importance of peers and outdoor experiences for kids in the pre-school years and beyond - Curating a child’s education based on their actual needs (rather than our own ideals) - the letting go years: when to guide and when to surrender - Centehua’s nutrition journey from veganism, to raw foodie to eating animals from the land (including a hog named Lacey she tended in life and witnessed in harvest) - Nourishing children - Not restricting “the cookie” - The healing power of SOUP! - Embodying our gift and our life through dance - And so much more! Connect with Centehua on Instagram: @centehuasage or on her website: www.centehuasage.com